


Dark Brews

by LenoirWhittlethorn



Category: Dragon Age II
Genre: College AU, Female Hawke (mentioned), Gen, Modern AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-30
Updated: 2015-10-30
Packaged: 2018-04-28 21:17:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5106059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LenoirWhittlethorn/pseuds/LenoirWhittlethorn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>College AU: Hawke asks Merrill to help Fenris study. The only one not aware of this plan is Fenris.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dark Brews

The morning sunlight streamed through the large window, creating a warm orange aura in the cafe. It didn’t warm Fenris though and he made sure his unwanted study partner felt the chill by glaring at her. Merrill held her thermos as if it was a ward to keep Fenris from reaching over and shaking her senseless. To any naive eye, the two elves must’ve appeared to be a couple, after all, Dalish kept to their own mostly. Except Fenris was not Dalish and he made Merrill well aware of that when they first met.

 

Not even the addictive pumpkin latte warmed Merrill’s hands, but sweat was forming  under her baggy, duckling yellow, beanie. ‘ _For Hawke._ ’ Merrill chanted to herself and she cleared her throat. “So, lovely Autumn mornin’, isn’t it?” Merrill cringed when Fenris scoffed.

 

“It was.” Fenris answered tiredly.

 

He had a near magical gift to stab people with simple responses.

 

‘ _Better than gruntin’ all the time, I guess._ ’ Merrill took a sip of her latte and decided to nip the issue in the bud. “Look, I know you expected Hawke, but she asked me to come instead.” She received an eyeroll and she leaned forward a little. “It’s true, she didn’t text you about it because she knew you wouldn’t come otherwise.”

 

“She’s right.” Fenris growled and looked out the window, white hair hiding his eyes, to Merrill’s relief. “Tell me why, witch.”

 

Merrill bit her inner cheek and straightened herself. “She said you don’t work well when around her.” She knew Hawke told her to not bring up anything remotely personal, but she was tired of Fenris always flinging mud in her face. “Hawke told me you needed a new study partner, because all you do with her is make out or you stay the night doing—”

 

“Enough.” Fenris barked.

 

“She said you can’t afford to fail another semester, Fenris.” Merrill noted the pink on Fenris’s cheeks when he turned his eyes back to her. “Hawke really cares for you, I have the texts to prove it.” She smiled when Fenris looked down at his cup of herbal tea.

 

Fenris saw the warm light penetrate the dark liquid of strong tea and he immediately thought of how Hawke’s hair refracted the morning sunlight. His head felt ridiculously hot due to the dark grey beanie he wore. He didn’t know what was worse; knowing that Hawke couldn’t tell him face-to-face or having Merrill see a side of him he didn’t approve showing anyone else except Hawke. He sighed as he remembered all the times Hawke gently prodded him to try make nice with Merrill.

 

He looked up at Merrill and saw the bright yellow scarf she hung around her neck. The pattern was of daisies and if he remembered correctly, Varric gave it to her as a gift. She wore a light gray sweater and to anyone else, she would be seen as harmless. But he knew, as well as everyone else in the group, that the girl practiced blood magic. Realizing that Merrill was meeting his gaze with her large, green eyes, Fenris glanced over at the large staff that leaned against the wall next to her.

 

‘ _Damn Hawke._ ’ Fenris rested his elbows on the table; giving into Hawke once more. “I’m only doing it for Hawke, don’t expect us to be frolicking in the park with flower crowns anytime soon.” Fenris grumbled.

 

Merrill giggled, but halted when Fenris furrowed his dark eyebrows. “Right, sorry. Well let’s get started!” She chirped and reached down into her backpack. “So what literary theories confuse you the most?”

 

“All of them.” Fenris took a sip of his tea and noticed Merrill was gaping at him. “What?”

 

“Fenris, we’re nearing midterms and you haven’t understood any of the material?” Merrill shook her head.

 

“Sorry, I was busy studying a subject matter that was more interesting.” He said in a lower tone and smirked when Merrill sputtered.

 

“You know, she didn’t give me nitty gritty details, I just assumed. But I don’t want to know at all, please spare me the details.” Merrill let all the words tumble out and kept her eyes on the massive literary theory book.

 

Fenris snorted softly as he saw Merrill’s face turn red. “You have a lot to learn.” He took another drink of his tea.

 

“So do you, apparently.” Merrill huffed.

 

He chuckled then and bowed his head a little. “Apparently.”

 

Merrill swallowed, trying to process the sound of Fenris chuckling and conceding for once. “So let’s start with the theory of the angel woman and the monster woman.”

 

 


End file.
